Book Club Discussion Questions
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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
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Grief is difficult to manage, but especially sudden and traumatic grief. How does Clementine cope with hers? How does Iwan?
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The apartment can only travel seven years into the future or past—would you travel seven years into either your future or past? And if so, who would you want to meet there, and why?
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My family has the story of my great-grandma's "dumpling sweater"—the sweater she always made her homemade dumplings in. Rumor has it, the sweater still smells like dumplings and her soft floral perfume to this day. Do you have a food or recipe that reminds you of home?
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Iwan claims that food is a universal language—do you agree with him?
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At the end of the book, Clementine sets off on a new adventure after she realizes that she has changed since she began her publishing career. Have you ever thought about changing careers? Why, and did you?
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In the culinary world, it's easy to say that Michelin-starred restaurants are the best—but we all know that one dive bar we'd kill for. What are some of your favorite restaurants, and why? (Don't be shy, drop the names!)
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Do you think a chef who invents new recipes and flavors is more talented than the chef who perfects an old, but exquisite, recipe?
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Clementine has a love for art and artists, but most specifically Vincent van Gogh. Is there a piece of art that moves you? (Book, painting, film, comic—they all count!) And if so, why?
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If you had a plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go? And where do you think Clementine went?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Berkley Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.